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Penny Pines

NOTE: If you wish to make a donation and are not a member of a CGCI affiliated organization you may send your check directly to the Forest Service Office of choice. You do not need to use the CGCI form.

History

In 1941, California's first Penny Pines plantation was sponsored by the San Francisco Sportswomen's Association. Recognizing the great need to restore these devastated areas, the association sent their donation to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northern California. Since that contribution, the number of participating groups and individuals has grown each year. They include such organizations as the Garden and Women's Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts of America, civic and sportsmen's clubs, and many others.

CGCI adopted Penny Pines as a state project in 1957 and it remains one of our major projects today.

Over the years these groups have contributed more than a million dollars to the Penny Pines Reforestation Program. Through these donations, more than 27 million of seedlings have been planted, renewing 88,000 acres of national forest land in California --truly an outstanding achievement.

Where does the money go?

In southern California, contributions may be used to prepare plantation sites for new trees or planting seedlings grown in Forest Service nurseries throughout California.

Seedlings are grown from local seeds and acorns, and replanted near the areas where the seeds were collected to improve their chance of survival.

The funds may also be used to maintain existing tree stands and improve wildlife habitat or replant burnt or otherwise damaged forests in conjunction with federal funds.

Plantations are important for watershed protection, soil stabilization and shade for recreation areas.

Any of these activities may be funded through Penny Pines donations.

The Penny Pines Reforestation Program plays a vital role both in renewing the national forests in California, and in multiple-use management. Trees help the ground store precious water, protect against soil erosion, and add to the scenic beauty of the national forests.

At the start of the program in 1941, seedlings could be produced for about one cent each. Approximately 680 seedlings were used to plant a typical acre.

For $68.00, seedlings for ten acres could be purchased. Site preparation and planting costs were met through regular Forest Service appropriations.

The Penny Pines program was so successful that money contributed to purchase seedlings soon far exceeded appropriated funds available for site preparation and for the actual planting job.

In 1964, the original cooperative agreement was rewritten to provide that funds contributed under the Penny Pines program be used for reforestation, rather than solely for purchasing seedlings.

Today $68.00 provides support for approximately one acre (one "plantation") which may include up to 350 trees.

Did you know? The national forests in California cover some 20 million acres, or about 1/5 of the state. That is equal to an area just slightly larger than the state of South Carolina . Stretching from the Mexican border to Oregon, these forests include a variety of terrain and vegetation types. These areas of great beauty and majestic stature are plagued by divesting problems, such as natural and man-caused fire, pests and disease. These cause vast depletion and destruction of the national forests in California. It takes thousands of firefighters and hundreds of pieces of specialized equipment working long hours to control these blazing infernos. Fires like these leave total destruction in their wake. As destructive as fires are, disease and insect infestation destroy seven times more forest vegetation annually than fires because forests pests are scattered and not easily detected, so are harder to control.In time some land may recover naturally. Penny Pines provides a helping hand. It is a conservation program in which everyone can participate.